Short Synopsis of Buried in Earthskin: (50mins documentary in English and Afrikaans with subtitles.)
A metaphorical vision of a malignant tumour in the earths’ skin, sets Helena on a road trip, following the route the waste disposal trucks take from Cape Towns nuclear power station. Listening to the stories of workers, women from indigenous rural communities living near the dump, international experts and government ministers, Helena realizes the significance of her vision. She sees how political and electrical power go hand in hand, and how marginalized indigenous peoples pay the ultimate price for decisions made (about where we get our electric power) for the sake of political and financial power.
Buried in Earthskin: Screenings since completion: (June 2009)
While We Were Sleeping film event: The Labia Cinema – Cape Town (2009)
Oakland International Film Festival (2009) USA
10TH International Social Communication Cinema Conference, Kolkata, India (2011)
Encounters International Film Festival (2010) South Africa
Broadcast (repeating) Mzantisi Magic (A channel of MultiChoice Satelite TVAfrica) 2011-2012
Cape Town Community TV (2011) (Repeating broadcasts)
Uranium Film Festival tour of India (2013) Covering 11 Indian cities.
Green Unplugged International Film Festival (online) 2013 – You can watch the whole film on this link.
Directors Statement
This film is based on a true personal event, which proved to me scientifically that trusting ones in intuition can save ones life. I dreamt that I had cancer in my leg. When I woke I went to the doctor, who diagnosed a malignant tumour in the skin of my calf. (Melanoma) Fortunately, it was discovered just in time, before it could spread into my veins.The motivation for the journey of investigation I took in this documentary, was based on a metaphorical vision of nuclear waste as a malignant tumour in the earth’s skin, which is threatening to spread into her veins. (It is easy to forget that we are part of nature and that our bodies are microcosmic reflections of the earth.)
I had heard a rumour that the underground water in Namaqualand was being poisoned by nuclear waste. I set off on a road trip to investigate and met some amazing people along the way, like the women of the Namakhoi tribe, who live close to the earth, and are so intuitively wise to her ways. The ancient earth- wisdom of the elders of the earth’s first people’s is so simple and clear. The Navaho elders say that Uranium is a poison from the depths of the earth, which should never be removed, and that if it is, it will unleash terrible danger. It echoes the Greek parable of Pandora’s box. Never open it, or all ills will be loosed on the planet. It is so tempting to those who wish to have power over others to open that box, but they can never take full responsibility for what they have unleashed if it is stronger than them. In making this film, however, I tried to focus on keeping it as balanced and scientifically investigative as possible, so as not to be discredited by those in the industry who do not take things like intuition seriously. It was also my intention to give back some power to the marginalized communities the poorest of the poor who have the greatest wealth of earth Wisdom by giving them a voice. It was a great delight that it was screened in Rio on the year of the Earth Summit Rio+20, because the journey of raising funds for the film began at the World Summit in Johannesburg 2002, and my vision for the film, was to have it screened in the context of such an event.Enjoy. Helena Kingwill
Helena Kingwill - Earthnotes for hope 
Wow!! Helana this is wonderful. Thank you for this.